The Hawaiian gazette., 1887-05-24
Pastear aud Hydrophobia

renders especially timely the article
c1pon NJ. Pasteur's researches in the
asst number of the Philadelphia Hedi
tai Necs, by DR.. Frank S. Billings,
Who accompanied the Newark boys to
soaris. An immense deal has been
published in the daily papers about
he Frenchman's methods, but the
natter has been so fragmentary that
I, be average reader has after all but
vague idea regarding VI. Pasteu's
discovery. A clear presentation Of
he facts in compact form by writer
IF authority was therefore much to
ipe desired, and DIR. Billings's article
rsxactly meets the case.
nj. Pasteur's theory with regard to
incubation against hydrophobia IN
man has this great recommendation
at the very start. that 1t is only a
development of similar theories res
;Oecting other diseases in fowls and
animals, the correctness OF which has
been thoroughly demonstrated. He
has shown, for example, that virus
AN be obtained which will protect
owls from danger of fowl cholera,
and another which will guard animals
against splenic fevers. at least for a
limited period. 1t is now something
over three years since he began his
tudies into rabies and his expert
inents for similar method of protec
ion against that most dreaded dis,
sase. The saliva of the dog has al
ways been considered the essential
medium of infection, but PasteT
concluded. from his observations of
slinical phenomena, that the specific
Elements of rabies are to be found in
pure condition in the material of
he great nervous centres, the brain
md spinal cord. more easily than
Elsewhere. He began his experiments
With brain matter. and found that
svery dog inoculated from the brain
bf rabid dog died, in an average
period of fourteen days. This was a
,tarting- point from which to work,
put the next step was a far more diff
ult one This was to lind means
# mitigating the material and using
It as a preventive medium.
Naturally he desired to try the
fleets of cerebral extract from q mad
log upon the monkey, as next in Kin
Q man. He was gratified to find that
ven the most rabid virus caused no
erious disturbance. and that, If the
noculations were made through a
Fery short series of the animals. the
Firus became powerless, even upon
logs. He had thus apparently dis
covered a means Of preparing d pr
nary rabid vaccine. but the scarcity
e monkeys rendered it impracticable
0 develop his theory in this way. In
sis researches into hog cholera, he
had found that if the fiuid elements
e that disease were taken directly
rom a sick animal Just after its death
nd carried through rabbits. the dis
'ase lost its virmence. and he there
ore, had recourse to that invariable
pbject of vicaIious experimental sacli-'
ica- : ~ j ~ Billingrs st1leS The rabbit
After experimenting about two
ears and using about 1900 rabbits.
i. Pasteur satisfied himself that. if
me inoeulated rabbit In the brain
With similar substances from a rabid
log. the rabbit would become rabid
n Just the same time that dog
you'd If treated in a similar manner:
nd. further, that after thus inoculat-
ng from twenty to twenty-five rab-
BITS, the rabid material would so de-
renerate in virulence that it killed
'ach rabbit in seven days. The same
laterial acted in the same manner
then inoc1lated upon dogs, and NJ.
'asteur could thus almost have
laimed that he had produced a new
'isease out of an old one. The next
uestion was how to diminish this
Material in virulence.
The spinal cord was found 10 act
xactly as the cerebral substance had
one, and as the medulla oblongata
-as more easily handled than the
rain substance. N. Pasteur began
sing this material. He proceeded to
sst the effects of heat and cold upon
in a dry atmosphere. 1t appeared
hat the meduna retained their virn
.nce a long time when kept in a cool
lace, but lost their force steadily in
hot temperature, until after four
zen days a medulla thus trea4eTc
-ould produce no perceptible<action
pon rabbits or dogs VII Introduced
ito the brain. Rei5eaSed experiments
ein6nstrated that any number of me
ulla OF approximately the same
lickness had the same action upon
aimals II introduced into the brain
fter having had the same amount of
Iposure; that Is 10 say. a canine me-
ala would cause rabies in rabbit in
purteen days, a super virulent rabbit
.edulla would cause rabies In a rab
It in seven days, while after the |
tier had been taken out and sub
.cted to treatment for about two
eeks, all action disappeared. N.
asteur next tried the effect of the |
ltroduction each day, or at intervals
a day or two. of a series of three |
sparately treated medulla from rab- |
its. beginning with a cord that had |
zen treated for fourteen days and |